Posts in family finances Category

We had our first fire of the season last week. The kids asked for hot chocolate and marshmallows. The leaves are doing that swirly thing in the air that makes me so happy and we have a daily discussion about Halloween costumes. Fall is in full swing.

Limited finances doesn't have to mean limited family connection. Here are a few low cost ideas for your crew:

1. Acorn Families- Gather acorns or any other round or oval shape things falling from your trees and create a family. We drew faces on ours with sharpies and then hot glued them to sticks we found. It was fun to see the kids different faces and shapes of the acorn variety.

2. Pick apples and pumpkins- Go on an off day to your local produce of picking choice at the end of this harvest season. There are still a few apples and tons of pumpkins. Pack a picnic lunch and take the long way home so you can soak in the beauty of the changing leaves.

3. Turn off the lights. Start a fire or light lots of candles and turn off your lamps for the night. Tell stories and drink apple cider. Make cookies earlier in the day to share. Play charades, twenty questions or even indoor hide and seek, your kids will love the play and will barely miss being unplugged for an evening.

4. Share a meal. Invite a family over for dinner. Pick a neighbor or your child's friend and share the cooking or have a potluck. Have a lego or polly pocket dinner, put a bowl of legos on the table just like the food. Every person can take a few pieces and make something in between bites. Take a picture of each person's creation at the end of the meal. Kids love when something fun ends up in an unexpected place.

5. Go on a moonwalk. Bundle everyone up on a weekend night and take an evening stroll to look at the moon and stars. A full moon is the best but not necessary. Learn about constellations and try to find them together. Buy one pack of glow in the dark star stickers and create your own sky in your kid's bedroom when you return. Moonwalks make for great memories.

Got any other favorite family connections? Please share in the comments.

Money, money, money. I thought it wasn't polite to talk about money but somehow the subject has found it's way into many a conversation at our house. My husband had an unexpected job change last year, a month before we had our fourth child. This mixed with some other factors sent our family into a very difficult financial time that we are still recovering from.

There were:
Days we had to decline outings for lack of cash.
Moments when I questioned if I really needed to take the sick toddler to the doctor quite yet.
Hours spent wondering if our kids were feeling our stress.
Sleepless nights due to the unknown future.
Months of constantly calculating to try to figure out how we could make it work.

It seems almost once a day, I talk to someone who has lost their job or knows of someone in that position. This leaves lots of people trying to navigate a really difficult situation with their families, especially kids, wondering what will come next. How do we answer their questions? How can we come together as a family?

Al Roker and Deborah Roberts along with the Sesame Street crew will host a special primetime show called Familes Stand Together which chronicles four families coping with difficult financial circumstances.
With lots of help and expert advice, these families have found a way to strengthen their family bonds, even in tough times.

PBSparents has also put together a site with tips, resources and even a place to share your story
I know sometimes it's nice to know you aren't alone.

Familes Stand Together will air tonight in many places but you can check your local listings here.